Religion & morality > Cloud of witnesses, for the royal prerogatives of Jesus Christ, or, The last speeches and testimonies of those who suffered for the truth in Scotland, in the years 1681-1688, with an appendix, containing the Queensferry paper, Torwood excommunications, &c

JAMES RENWICK.
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matters of my doctrine, for there was found with me the
sum of my last two sermons at Braid’s-craigs, which I wrote
after I preached them; the former whereof was from Psalm
Ixvi. 10, “Be still and know that I am God; I will be ex¬
alted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.”
And the latter from Heb. x. 38, “ Now the just shall live
by faith; but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no
pleasure in him.” And so I was examined upon the appli¬
cation made therein unto the sins of the time ; all which I
owned once and again, as may be seen in my indictment:
and being tried, and an assize set, I adhered to my former
confession explicitly ; so my sentence of death was drawn
forth upon these heads :—
1. Because I could not own James VIL to be my lawful
sovereign.
2. Because I taught the unlawfulness of paying the cess,
expressly exacted for the suppressing the faithful and free
preaching of the gospel.
3. Because that I taught that it was the people’s duty to
carry arms at the preaching of the gospel, now when it is
persecuted, for defending themselves, and resisting of unjust
violence.
I think such a testimony is worth many lives, and I praise
the Lord, for his enabling me to be plain and positive in all
my confessions : for therein I found peace, joy, strength, and
boldness. I have met with many assaults in prison, some
from some of the indulged party, and others from some of
the prelatic ; but by the strength of God, I was so enabled
to stand, that they could neither bow me nor break me. I
was also assaulted by some of the popish party, (I suppose
they were some of the ecclesiastic creatures,) but they found
none of their own stuff in me. I told them, after sundry
debatings, that I had lived and should die an enemy to
their way. However, some that knew me not, reproached
me with Jesuitism. I was pressed by sundry to seek a re¬
prieve, and my answer was always, that I adhered to my
former confession, and if they pleased to let that appointed
time of my death stand, let it stand; and if they pleased to
Erotract it, let them protract it; for I was ready and willing
oth to live and die; howbeit, there came a reprieve to me
for eight days, but I had no hand in it. They still urged,
would I but say, that I desired time for conference with